Spring-button and like fastening.



P. 0. H. BRUNING.

SPRING BUTTON AND LIKE FASTENING.

APPLIGATIQN FILED MAY 6.191!

1,009,278 Patented Nov. 21. 1911 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PAUL OTTO HERMANN BRUNING, 0F BERLIN, GERMANY.

SPRING-BUTTON AND LIKE FASTENING.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that l. Paul. O'r'ro HERM'ANN Bniimxo, a subject of HisMajesty the Emperor of Germany, residing at 30 Stralsunderstrasse,Berlin. Germany, have invented certain new and .useful Improvements inSpring-Buttons and the Like Fastenings, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention has relation to spring buttons and the like fasteuings inwhich a male member of one part of the fastening is shaped so as tospread spring members associated with the other part of the fastening,in the act of pressing said parts together. and also so shaped as toprovide a shoulder under which the spring members snap and against whichthey engage to hold the said parts together when these parts are fullypressed together.

In spring buttons and the like fastenings embracing various forms ofspring members including fork or U-shaped springs,the arms or limbs ofwhich have in themselves constituted the spring members, a difiicultywhich has been presented is the arrangement of the spring connectionsuch that at one and the same time it shall otl'er a suiiiciently easydisengagement or engagement of the parts. and yet not involve risk ofthe two parts becoming unintentionally disengaged during use. Theincompatibility of these conditions has militated against the adoptionof fastenings of the kind in question in many directions where theywould otherwise have been employed.

It is the object of the present invention to overcome this difiiculty bya spring catch arrangement that is at once simple and very effective,easy to construct and positive in its working, and which ischaracterized by a peculiar and novel action "which admits of a betterhold beingattainedthan hitherto.

By the present invention the spring catch which closes in on either sideof the male part is so constructed and arranged that, whenit is desiredto disengage the two parts of the fastening; it is moved outofengagement with both sides of the male part by applyinga force in onedirection to one part only of'the catch. The catch as applied to aspring button or the like fastening, may comprise a. .U shapedor forkedspring catch capable ofbeing opened from outside-and of returning ofitself into its normal position,

' and one of the members of "the" U or fork is held at i fend whiletheother is free to Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 6, 1911.

Patented Nov. 21, 1911.

Serial No. 625,566.

move and is arranged to cooperate. with an abutment in such wise that bya movement of the catch about the point at which it. is held thedistance normally separating the catch members is increased and thecatch is opened.

Thus the U-shaped or forked spring catch together with its abutment canbe so arranged relatively to the center of the fastening device thatwhen the catch for the purpose of opening the same is moved about thepoint at which it is held, the U or fork members will move equidistantlyaway from the center of the fastening.

The male part of the fastening can be provided with a locking face whichis normal. to, or disposed at an angle inclining from the outer edge ofthe face toward the forward end of the male part which angle is lessthan with, the axis of the male part: whereby a separation of thefastening, even under very strong pull becomes practically impossible.The movement of the catch to open the same may be effected by pressureapplied either at the base of the U or fork orgat the end of the freemember or both. A stop or steps is or are provided to govern the returnmovement of the catch to normal position which function may be met bythe aforesaid abutment, and a stop or stops may be provided to limit thereleasing movement of the catch. The catch may be moved in anyconvenient manner by applied pressure and in some cases the pressure maybe applied by a rotary movement of one part of the fastening relativelyto the other part. Either one or both arms of the catch may beresilient.

In'the drawings Figure 1 illustrates diarammatically the principalcharacteristic eatures of the present invention showing an abutment anda U-shapcd spring catch attached to the female portion or an independentplate or supportarranged within or attached to the female portion: Fig.1 shows to a reduced scale a head and stem of plan the inventionapplied. in the form of a U shaped spring. to a spring button or dressfastener, Fig.3 being a cross-section on the line'IH -HI of Fig. 2. andFig. 4 a crosssection on the line IV-IV of Fig. 2 showing the two partssecuredtogether: Figs. 5, 6 and I 7 are like sections illustratingmodifications iin the construction of the femaleportion;

1 Fig.8 is a viewillustrating amode of releasa male portion; Fig. 2shows in sectional ing the spring with the thumb and finger; Fig. .l isa sectional plan illustrating a mode of releasing the spring by relativemovement of the two parts of the fastening; Figs. 1044 are sectionalplan views illustrating modifications in the forms and in the mode ofattachment of the spring and in the abutment for the same.

Referring to Fig. l of the drawing. illustrating tliagrannnatically apreferred form of spring fastening under the present invention. thefemale portion or an independent plate or support arranged within orattached to said portion is indicated by It. .To the poition n. isattached for instance by a pin 1 the end of one arm 2 of a U-shaped orforked spring catch or locking device, the other arm 3 of which is freeto move away from the arm 2. The normal position of the spring catch isindicated in full lines with the arms 2 and l equidistant from thecenter of the hole 4 through which the head on the stem 5 of the maleportion is passed. spreading the two arms 1 and 3 apart as shown indotted lines until the head projects clear of the catch when the catchis free to return under the head to normal position. The head 6 on thestem 5 as shown in Fig; 1 is made with a locking face G at right. anglesas depicted. or less than tiight angles. to the axis of the stem so thata complete and perfect lock is insured with the catch in normalposition. In order to enable the head to be released an abutment 7 isprovided between the two arms of the catch and [n'eferably in contactwith the free arm 2 of the spring and located adjacent to the peripheryof the hole 4 and between the hole and the base 8 of the spring. Theabutment 7 may be a fixed abutment as shown or a rolling or to tatingabutment may be substituted. To release the head on the stem 5. pressureis applied either at or near the base 8 of the st iring in the directionof the arrow 8, or at the end of the free arm 3 in the direction of thearrow 3, whereupon the arms spread apart and move equidistantly from thecenter of the fastening as the arm 3 slides across the abutment 7. Astop or stops on the plate (not shown) may be provid d to limit thesemovements of the arms. Further a stop or stops is or are provided togovern the return movement of the spring to normal position which may beeffected by extending the abutment 7 as shown so as to be normally incon tact with the arm 2 of the spring. As shown the spring catch may bere ilient throughout. The two resilient arms 2 and 15 may however beconnected by a rigid bridge piece to which the arms would be secured.It; is however, not essential that. both arms 2 and 3 be resilient aseither might be a rigid arm to to either arm, or at or near the end ofthe free arm 3, and either the fork end of the catch, or the free end ofthe arm 3. or both. may extend outside the fastening to enable pressureto be applied. Pressure may be applied to release the catch bya rotarymovement of one part of the fastening relatively to the other part, themale portion for cvample being provided with a suitable aln ment bymeans of which pressure may be transferred to the catch for the releaseino\'e ment in which case it is obviously not essential that either endof the catch should extend outside the female portion.

In Figs. 2, 3 and 4 the in venticn is shown applied to the femaleportion of a dress fastening comprising a cupped or tlanged plate 9 fromwhich two abutments T and T are formed by stamping, or in otherconvenient manner. A portion of the radial flange l) is left out at t)to permit of the movement of the base or fork end of th catch 2, 3,which protrudes beyotnl the flange 9* the ends of this slot limiting themovement of the spring catch. To enable the catch to be actuated torelease the fastening bv the thumb and finger. a nose or pro jection isprovided against which tho finger may rest while actuating the cat hwith the thumb as shown in Fig. 8. lug. ear. pivot or equivalent 9 whi hmay be either secured to, or stamped out of the plate 9, is provided forthe attachment of the end of the arm 2 of the cat h. The catchconveniently retained in position by a o\er plate 10 which may be dishedas shown at 10 to receive the head (3 of the stem 5 of the male portionas shown in Fig. r. The two plates 9 and i may be secured together inany convenient manner so as to secure the free movement of the catch.Instead of utilizing a cover plate to retain the s )ring in positionrelatively to the plate H t e abutment 7 may be made deeper than thecatch and undercut where conta t made with the arm 3. Holes may beprovided for sewing the portion I). i to the article of dress or theportion may he socured to the material in a well known |nanner, as forinstance in a glove button, by a retaining washer, not shown. The stem 5is shown secured to a plate 5 which may be also provided with holes forattaching this portion to the article of dress by sewing.

In Fig. 5 both the covering dome for the head 6 and the two abutments 7and T are formed out of one plate Ll by first stamping out the dome to agreater depth than that of the head and then cutting away portions onopposite sides of the dome thus leaving the dome attached by twoopposite pieces 7, one or both of which act as abutments for the arms 2and 3 of the catch. The other ceive the dome on the plate 11.

In Fig. (l the construction is similar to that shown in Fig. 5 exceptthat the plate 12 is not pierced but also domed to cover the dome on theplate 11 whereby the joint around the dome in Fig. 5 is avoided.

In Fig. 7 a plate 13 is domed at 13 and an abutment 7 formed by stampinga. suitable portion of metal partly out of the domed portion 13 andpartly out of the straight portion of the plate 13.

in the construetions of the female portion de rribed with reference to ligs. 4 to T, a projection .t" f r the finger may be proidt-d asdescribed with reference to Figs. :2 to 4. .\s indi'ated. however. inFig. 9 the eatrh may be released by a rotary movement ti a part of thefastening relatively to another part of the same, the part. 11 being thefemale portion and the part 12 the male portion or a rotatable partdetaehabiy rvmweted thereto. As shown the base 8 of the t-ateh protrudesbeyond the part 11 and th part 12 is correspondiugly eu-t away. i'h.efree end of the arm 3 might however protrude instead of the base 8 andbe engaged in like manner by the part 12. It is obvious however. thatneither end of the eateh need protrude beyond the limits of the part11*, as a suitable engagement with either arm near the base txor withthe free end of the artn by an abut nent corres 'mn(- ina'ly arranged onthe part 1:2" extending vsuliiriently far into the part. 11 to engagethe ratth.

Fig. it) shows the base or fork of the catch 2. 5 within the limits ofthe female portion of the fastening and the free end of the arm 2-;rojeeting outside and turned back-so as to "pr sent a convenientgrit'iping surface.

in Fig. 11 the forked end of the spring catch which projects outside thefastener is twisted in one or more coils 15 so as'to increase the springaction.

Fig. 12 shows a modification in the form of the spring eatehQ. 2-3, andthe abutment 7. the end of the arm 2 being attached to the plate by apin 1.

In Fig. 1:) the end of the arm 1! is shown turned under a flap orextension 1)" of the flange it which is bent inward over the arm J.

l l i The action of the spring may be modified by bending both arms 2and 3. as shown in Fig. Ll for example.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. In a fastener of the kind described,comprising a male and a female portion, a spring catch held on'thefemale portion and adapted to close in on opposite sides of the maleportion, and means cooperating with said spring catch to open it amlcause it to release the said male portion on moving the said springcatch about the point, at which it is held on the female iortion.

2. In a fastening of the kind described, a spring rateh comprising avforked shape spring locking device capable after. being opened ofreturning of itself into its normal position. said device having onemember held at its end while the other is free to move, and an abutmentcooperating with said free member to increase the distance normallyseparating the members upon a lll()\'tl1'|t1li of the device about thepoint at. which it is held and about said abutment.

3. fastening of the kind described comprising a male portion, a femaleportion, a forked spring locking device having the end of one armattached to said female portion and the end of the other arm free andboth arms normally located across the mouth of said female portion, ahead on said male portion adapted to spread said arms during insertion,a locking face under said head for each of said arms. an abuti'neut' onsaid female portion for said free arm loeatetl between the arms andbetween said mouth and the forked end of said eateh mid means wherebysaid locking device may be moved about its point of attachment to saidfemale portion and about said abutment so as to in crease the distancenormally separating the arms to release said head.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PAUL Of'lt) IIERMANN llltllNlNtl.

' it uesses:

'l'lnu, Hummus L romz,

Eowwan Ntonolhts Pink.

